


Dishonor and Drowning

by josiahstick, Super_Big_Mac



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Makoto Niijima Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-01 04:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12148770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josiahstick/pseuds/josiahstick, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Super_Big_Mac/pseuds/Super_Big_Mac
Summary: Makoto Niijima is the most dedicated member of the student council, and Ryuji Sakamoto is the best runner on the track team. Neither of them were expecting to be challenged. As a new transfer student starts to gain attention from the student body, and the track team experiences a hostile takeover, both their worlds begin to turn upside down...For Makoto Niijima Week, under Day 4 prompt "Past/backstory" and Day 8 prompt "fashion/style."





	Dishonor and Drowning

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story is probably quite a bit different from anything you've read from Makoto Week before. I think you'll be quite surprised by what awaits you here. Couple of hopefully unexpected twists and turns.
> 
> Should you arrive at the end, there is some fantastic art by a talented friend of mine!
> 
> EDIT: I realized it's probably a good idea to warn readers about the content a little bit. There are some insults and violence, courtesy of Kamoshida. In any case, I hope the story is good!

**5/18/2015 ☁ MoNDaY Lunchtime**

Makoto Niijima was a particularly good student.

She didn’t have too many friends, but that didn’t really matter to her. Makoto was an excellent second-year student at Shujin Academy, top of her class,  _ and _ a member of the student council. She was the one the students looked up to. Sometimes, she was even the one whom the  _ teachers _ looked up to. Her grades were far and away beyond most of her classmates, and she always got the top score on exams.

Except today, much to her surprise.

The midterms had just taken place earlier last week, and rather than Makoto’s own name at the top, there was another. A name Makoto recognized.

That’s right. The recent transfer student.

_Misako Dekishi._

Makoto had heard nothing remarkable about Dekishi-san. She hadn’t done anything particularly special. She didn’t seem especially smart, and was always making mistakes and tripping in the hallways. Her appearance was quite eye-catching, certainly, with all the colors she possessed, but she really wasn’t much at all. Just an average student.

So it was naturally a surprise for Makoto to see herself bested in an exam, by such an unremarkable member of the student body. It wasn’t humiliating by any means— the two of them both had near-perfect scores. It was quite possible that one could have flipped a coin between the two of them. It was simply… interesting.

Perhaps it was a mistake, or a fluke. In any case, it wasn’t a big deal. Makoto knew that her own score had been superb, and that was really all she cared about.

* * *

**5/18/2015 ☁ MoNDAY After School**

“WHAT ARE YOU RUNNING SO SLOW FOR?!” shouted the abrasive voice of Suguru Kamoshida at the members of the track team.  _ “HURRY UP AND GO FASTER!” _

One boy in particular, Ryuji Sakamoto, was moving through the grass at a rather commendable pace. Despite only just having entered into Shujin Academy, he had a great reputation as the rising star runner of the track team. And Makoto— from her position high up in the track field bleachers, the wind blowing past her face— could see that this was for good reason. He was extremely talented at sprinting.

However, Sakamoto-kun was also known to have been supposedly causing a fair amount of trouble. Hence, the teachers had opted to station a member of the student council at every meeting of the track team, so as to ensure that nothing got out of hand. And today, it was her turn.

Makoto thought that this was a rather tedious and unfair task to saddle the student council with, and wondered why the teachers couldn’t take responsibility for it themselves. But alas, what was she to do? If she didn’t go along with this, she wouldn’t get her letter of—

“Hello!” said a pleasant, cheerful voice. Another Shujin student, about Makoto’s age, sat down next to her. “You’re Niijima-senpai, right?”

“I am,” Makoto replied politely, turning her head slightly to face the other girl. “May I help you?”

It was—

“It’s so lovely to meet you again!” the girl said, speaking in a pleasant singsong-like voice. She had bright blue eyes, almost like sapphires, long shoulder-length hair of a bright green hue, and a decently-sized orange scarf— which Makoto didn’t understand the purpose of at all. It was about halfway through the month of May. There was no reason to be wearing a scarf. What was she thinking?

“You might remember me from before! Misako Dekishi. I love… your work!” Misako Dekishi beamed, thus calling attention to her rather lavishly colored lipstick. “You seem like such a great person! We both got about the same score on the midterm exams, didn’t we? I thought we might get along really well, since we’re so smart!”

“Thank you,” Makoto said blankly, turning her attention back to the track team. Kamoshida was waving his hands around wildly, making a bunch of elaborate signals whose meanings were not known to Makoto.

Misako’s meaning was not known to Makoto either. Her strange red and purple lipstick, the bright color of her hair, that scarf…

And while, unlike on her first day, she’d remembered to wear the socks, she’d pushed the ends all the way down to her ankles. She was an especially strange girl, who’d introduced herself in such a strange way in the classroom, the day she’d transferred in…

* * *

**4/15/2015 ☁ WeDNESDAY Morning**

The tall, green-haired girl seemed to have forgotten the long socks she was supposed to be wearing with the Shujin uniform— and as such, exposing her rather long, immaculate legs. Makoto found this to be slightly strange, but surely it was a simple mistake, and she’d be wearing them sooner or later.

She’d written her name in rather sloppy handwriting, on the blackboard at the front of the room:

**_溺死 実彩子_ **

** _Misako Dekishi_ **

“Hello, everyone!” Misako said cheerfully, smiling and waving. “My name’s Misako Dekishi! My parents are real estate developers, and I just transferred schools in a hurry because they’re expanding their horizons to Tokyo. So we had to relocate to Minato!”

Real estate developers? Hmm. That lined up. Makoto was certain she’d seen the name Dekishi on a building somewhere.

“By the way, there are a lot of cute girls like me in this class,” Misako added. “I can’t wait to meet all of you!” She bowed her head energetically, her long green hair flying about as she did so, and went to sit down.

“Hey,” Makoto said gently.

The transfer student gently turned her head, and when she saw Makoto’s face, her eyes seemed to light up with excited joy…

But why would they? That must have been Makoto’s imagination.

“Want to sit here?”

Misako Dekishi nodded, all too eagerly. ‘Yes… Senpai! Uh…”

“Niijima. Makoto Niijima.”

“Niijima-senpai!” Misako sat down in the seat next to Makoto. “Can I borrow a pen?”

Makoto had nodded, lent Misako one of her pens, and thought nothing more of it. Thus, forgetting about the energetic, colorful, positive girl, until…

* * *

“I’m certain you already know this,” Misako went on, “but I just transferred into this school at the start of the year, and it’s been so long since I met anyone as smart  _ and _ pretty as you are! You’re so seriously perfect!”

Makoto continued watching. “I’m sorry, Dekishi-san, but—”

“Do you want to go somewhere sometime?” Misako suggested. “I’d really, really love to get to know you better.” She gave Makoto another terrific, colorful smile. “Please?”

For some odd reason, unknown to Makoto, Misako appeared to discreetly cast her gaze at Makoto’s chest, and then back up again…

Makoto, meanwhile, said absolutely nothing.

There was a deep moment of silence between them, and Misako stopped smiling.

“Dekishi-san,” Makoto told her, “My schedule’s full, and I’m quite busy right now. I don’t have time to chat.”

“Oh…”

The other girl looked extremely disappointed.

“I’m sorry, Niijima-senpai. I’ll… I’ll see you later, then!” She smiled once more. “I think we’ll get along wonderfully!”

Misako stood up and quickly ran away, looking quite saddened by Makoto’s rejection.

“FASTER!” Kamoshida shouted. “You think you’re gonna win the track tournaments like that?  _ STEP IT UP!” _

All the members of the track team looked like they had reached their limits— except one.

Looking extremely determined in response to Kamoshida’s order, Ryuji Sakamoto sped himself up considerably, moving even faster than he had been already.

Kamoshida eyed Sakamoto carefully. It appeared that he was quite annoyed.

Makoto wondered why this was. But… it wasn’t her place to intervene, so she decided to ignore it.

* * *

**5/19/2015 ☁ TuESDAY Lunchtime**

Dekishi-san had been gushing on and on about Makoto Niijima for the past twenty-five minutes or so, listing all the student council member’s redeeming qualities and the many reasons why she had become so thoroughly infatuated. There had been so many adjectives, that I’d lost track of them all, and that was certainly saying something. In my position as the head of Shujin Academy’s Newspaper Club, I’ve had to keep track of a  _ lot _ of adjectives.

“She’s so dedicated!”

“Mhm…”

“Determined!”

“Is that right?”

“Focused and smart!”

“Yeah?”

“And so cute!”

“Okay…”

“I want her boobs!” Dekishi-san said, and I gave her a rather strange look.

“But your boobs are perfectly fine.” Misako Dekishi’s breasts were certainly larger than those belonging to Makoto Niijima. Not by an impressive margin, but they  _ were _ larger. Of course, larger breasts weren’t necessarily better— but they weren’t worse, either, and Dekishi’s own were, for the most part, completely normal.

Not that I particularly cared; I’m not into that sort of thing.

“That’s not what I meant, Newspaper-chan,” Dekishi-san replied, a little annoyed with me. “I don’t want to have boobs of my own like Niijima-senpai’s, I want to—”

“Right, that’s enough of that,” I interrupted, as I jotted this information down in my notebook with my right hand. Despite my generally neutral attitude regarding whatever Dekishi-san desired of Niijima, I continued to write it down regardless. It’s simply my nature to record these things.

_…wants to do something to her boobs. Not sure what the point would be. Seems like a rather childish detail on which to focus one’s…_

“Hey!” Dekishi-san’s eyes suddenly jumped downwards to observe my notebook. “Why are you writing this down?! You better not be putting all that in the school paper!”

“Why would I?” For no reason whatsoever, I changed pen hands from my right to my left. “I’m not interested in spreading gossip about your obsession with Niijima-senpai. I just like writing.”

“Fine, whatever!” Dekishi-san turned away, and, seeing Niijima-senpai coming down the hallway, suddenly became quiet.

Nothing happened. Niijima kept on walking, not even bothering to turn and look at us, and soon disappeared into the halls.

I continued writing with my left hand.

“How do I get her to notice me?” Dekishi-san wondered aloud.

“I don’t know,” I answered, a tired expression on my face. “I’m not into that sort of thing. I don’t do girls. Or boys, for that matter.”

“I could never hope to be anything like her! She’s so wonderful!”

“Well… actually…” I thought it over for a moment. “Perhaps that’s exactly what you should do.”

“What?” Dekishi-san’s face lit up, and she turned to me, her eyes lighting up in excited anticipation of what my solution might be. “What do you mean? What should I do?! Tell me!”

“Be like her, I mean. Maybe you’re just not the sort of person she’d go for.”

“Be like her? Well… OH!” A light bulb seemed to go off in her head, and Dekishi-san suddenly looked like she’d just taken a sip of some particularly potent and sugary energy drink. “That’s perfect! Yeah, that makes total sense! I’ll do that!” Dekishi-san turned and ran off. “Thanks so much for your help!”

“Mmhm.” I paused for a moment, before shrugging, and going on with my writing.

I hadn’t meant for my words to be taken seriously at all, but Dekishi-san had, in fact, taken my “advice” very, very seriously. I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t anything much other than a perfectly normal and purely unbiased school journalist. My words shouldn’t have held much weight…

And yet, somehow, they did.

And thus this was the cause of everything that Niijima and I witnessed and struggled with after. All because of my making such a simple, silly mistake.

* * *

**5/22/2015 ☀ FRiDAY After School**

_ “I DIDN’T DO NOTHIN’!” _ Ryuji bellowed at Kamoshida furiously. They were standing in the gym, staring at each other with poisonous looks in their eyes. Save for the two of them, the room was completely empty. “It’s you who’s overworkin’ the entire goddamn track team!”

“Am I, now?” Kamoshida replied, with a smug look laced upon his face. “I don’t think so, Sakamoto. I think you’re the one who disobeyed me, and dared to question my authority… you lazy sack of crap!”

“Call me whatever ya like, you piece of shit!” Ryuji retorted. “I ain’t gonna break, no matter how hard you try to make me snap. I know what you’re after, and there ain’t nothing you can do!”

Kamoshida laughed…

Ryuji grimaced. He hated it when that bastard laughed like that.  _ That guy thinks he’s oh sooo great… I’ve had enough of him! _ Ryuji wanted to give Kamoshida a good smack, but, he held himself back. There was no point…

“What’s going on here?” Makoto Niijima inquired, entering the gym. “I was sent here to deliver a message to Kamoshida-sensei from Kobayakawa…”

“This  _ dick _ thinks he can get whatever he wants since he’s the high-and-mighty captain of the sports teams!” Ryuji asserted in response, pointing at Kamoshida. “He’s looking for the first excuse he can get to disband the track team, all just because he doesn’t like it!”

“Disband?” Kamoshida chuckled. “What a preposterous accusation! That’s not my intention at all! I’m just trying to help the track team do the very best they can.”

“Like hell you are! How can any of them do their bests, when they’re all turnin’ to dead meat cause of you?!”

“Niijima!” Kamoshida turned to the star student council member, giving her a cool, pleasant smile. “You’ve seen my practices. Wouldn’t you agree that I’m doing my very best to improve the track team as much as possible?”

Makoto looked a little taken aback. “Uh…”

* * *

**5/22/2015 ☀ FRiDAY After School**

Makoto wasn’t really sure what to say to this.

She had seen Kamoshida’s practices. He barked a lot of unreasonable orders. Everyone always ran absurdly fast, until they couldn’t run anymore. And then he would yell some more.

Except, she’d seen Ryuji Sakamoto. He’d been running so fast, and working so hard…

“Sakamoto-kun,” she began. “You shouldn’t question Kamoshida-sensei’s methods. You don’t want to waste this great opportunity that you’ve been given, now do you?”

Kamoshida narrowed his eyes. He seemed quite surprised that Makoto had chosen to address Ryuji, rather than himself.

“Hell yeah I don’t!” Ryuji shot back at Makoto, thoroughly furious. “I don’t even care what the hell Kamoshida does! He’s makin’ us work too hard, yeah— but I wasn’t even complaining about that,  _ nooo. _ All I asked for was a  _ goddamned water break!” _

Kamoshida now appeared to be at a loss for words. His face was frozen cold, not out of fear, but out of extreme annoyance at being so openly denounced in front of a member of the student council.

“I got you, didn’t I?” Ryuji spat. “You don’t got any excuses for us now, huh? You  _ asshole!” _

“Don’t defy me, you delinquent trash,” Kamoshida snapped. “Or else, I’ll—”

“Ryuji! What’s going on here?!”

Makoto and Ryuji spun around to see who had interrupted.

It was Ann Takamaki.

“Why are you yelling at your teacher?”

“Because, Ann,” Ryuji replied through gritted teeth, “he’s—”

“Oh, Takamaki-chan,” Kamoshida interjected, his face and voice taking on a far friendlier tone than before. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. Sakamoto-kun’s such a handful. Would you like a ride home?”

“No, thank you,” Ann responded politely. “I just wanted to talk to Ryuji, actually… but I… I think I’ll just go home.” She turned and left.

“I should go as well,” Makoto said, as she headed for the gym’s double doors. “I need to make dinner for my sister. Sakamoto-kun, I do hope you’re able to set aside your differences with Kamoshida. Goodbye.”

Ryuji groaned and exited the gym as well, directing an obscene gesture towards Kamoshida as he left.

“You’d best reconsider that attitude, you impertinent scum,” Kamoshida warned him haughtily. “I don’t think you’re gonna like where it takes you!”

* * *

As Makoto made her way through the empty school halls, heading towards Shujin’s entrance doors, the colorful, bubbly girl came bounding over, grinning wildly…

Something looked different about her today.

“Niijima-senpaiiiiii!” Misako Dekishi said cheerfully. “Do you like my hair? I cut it for you!”

Misako’s vibrant green hair was no longer bouncing and flying as she moved. It was now, for the most part, quite stationary, as it had been trimmed haphazardly to form a rather uneven bob cut.

“It looks fine,” Makoto said, attempting to push her way past Misako, but the latter grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“I cut it to look like your hair!” Misako said, gently raking her fingers through Makoto’s own hair. “I love it! It’s so beautiful, and…  _ oh— _ It feels so good!” Makoto felt the weight of Misako’s fingers press softly against her head, as the strange girl pleasured herself in the feeling of Makoto’s hair. “What do you put in your hair, senpai? It’s so smooth and clean-feeling!”

With a cold and irritated expression, Makoto lifted her arms up and pushed Misako backwards, thus regaining her freedom of motion. “Please don’t touch me.” She then continued on her way, not looking back to meet Misako’s eyes. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Dekishi-san.”

Misako Dekishi looked crushed…

As Makoto left, Kamoshida sauntered across the hall behind Misako, seeming rather amused for some reason.

* * *

**5/22/2015 ☀ FRiDAY After School**

_ Why won’t she see me… Why doesn’t she notice?! Why did she just act like… no, it was my fault! I blew it! Why’d I get so stuck on her hair? I bet now she thinks I only like her body! But… It’s more than that! I love… I love you, Makoto Niijima! You’re so smart and beautiful! Why couldn’t I just say that? Why am I such an idiot?! _

Misako knew the reason, of course… because there could have been people watching. She couldn’t risk publicly announcing to the academy that she was a lesbian  _ and _ crushing on a member of the student council! Well, she wasn’t exclusively lesbian. She’d liked boys before, so sure, she was technically bisexual, but…

_ Girls are cuter, of course. _

It’d been awhile since she’d seen a boy worth talking to. It’d also been awhile since she’d seen any girl worth talking to, though, not as long… and Niijima-senpai was definitely worth talking to! She was strong and ambitious and intelligent and so incredibly cute… she was everything Misako wanted!

So why did she have to act like a robot, every time Misako tried to approach her… couldn’t Niijima-senpai see how hard Misako was trying to get her attention?! It didn’t make any sense!

But then she remembered what Newspaper Girl had said… Right. Be like her! Misako could only suppose she only wasn’t experienced enough… she didn’t have enough information about what sort of person Niijima-senpai was. Of course!

What did she know?

Well… Niijima was on the student council. That was one thing. So, it only naturally made sense that—

* * *

**5/26/2015 ☀ TuESDAY After School**

“So, first item on today’s meeting… We have a new member! This is Misako Dekishi,” the student council president— a plain-looking third-year student with ratty brown hair —said. Misako stepped forward to introduce herself.

_ Hm? _ Makoto wondered, eyeing Misako with equal parts curiosity and confusion.  _ What's she doing here? _

“Hello! Hello everyone!” Misako tweeted at the student council cheerfully, waving and beaming happily with her usual bubbly energy. “I’ve decided to join the student council for Niijima-senpai!”

“Oh, you’re friends with Niijima-chan?”

“Yes! She’s such a wonderful person, and she looked like she was having such fun on the student council, so I decided to join her!”

“I see!” the president smiled, while meanwhile, Makoto Niijima looked extremely annoyed.

“Niijima-chan,” he suggested, “how about you say hello to Dekishi-chan?”

Makoto took a deep breath.  _ Why is this happening… What on Earth is she thinking? What the hell is Dekishi’s problem?! _

After a moment, she made a soft, plain polite smile and looked at Misako. “Hello, Dekishi-san… it’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too!” Misako smiled happily, wrapping the stoic Makoto up in a huge, and rather constrictive, hug.

Makoto rolled her eyes. “Please don’t touch me,” she murmured quietly as she carefully reached for Misako’s right hand, which had been positioned on her side, just to the left of her breast—  _ what’s she trying to do? _ Makoto thought, though she soon forgot this —and removed it, before gently and subtly pushing her away in such a manner that no one else in the room observed her maneuver.

In reaction to the distance which Makoto had forced between herself and Misako, the latter quietly backed up. Makoto gave off a cold, annoyed look, and waved her away.

“Er…” Misako murmured nervously. “I’ll just move over…” she looked around for somewhere to sit, but the only free seat was—

“Hey,” the student council president pointed out, “Dekishi-chan, since that’s the only available seat, why don’t you sit next to Niijima-chan? It’ll be perfect there, since you’re such good friends!” He cast a huge smile at both of them.

Makoto sighed. “Very well. Dekishi-san, sit here.”

Misako appeared instantly delighted.

“YES, senpai!” She immediately took her seat, and placed her arm over Makoto. Makoto inched herself away, and, getting the message, Misako instead placed her arm on the top of Makoto’s chair— thus forgoing any direct physical contact with her.

* * *

**5/26/2015 ☀ TuESDAY After School**

_ Right! _ Misako reasoned to herself. _ I can get to her slowly. I don’t have to be all touchy-feely just yet… _

“As I’m sure you most of know,” the president informed the student council, as he adjusted his glasses, “I’m graduating soon, and given how much I’d like to focus on my studies so I can get to a good university, I’ve opted to drop out of being the student council president.”

Makoto nodded. It seemed that she’d already known this.

“Given our lack of a vice president, since he graduated and left us last school year, I’ve decided to organize an election for my successor.”

The room started buzzing with excitement in reaction to his announcement.

“An election?!”

“Well, duh!”

“But now? I just assumed…”

“It’s gotta be Niijima-san, right?”

“Obviously! Who else would it be?!”

“Niijima-chan,” the president inquired, “I assume you’ll be wanting to run to take my place?”

Everyone fell quiet as they waited for Makoto’s answer.

After a moment, she nodded once again, this time to confirm.

“Yes. I’ll run. I assume I’ll have no opposition—”

_ “No!” _ Misako stood up, getting everyone’s attention.

“Is there a problem?” Makoto asked cooly.

“No, I mean,  _ yes _ , I mean,  _ no! _ You  _ will _ have someone opposing you in the election!” Misako declared, pointing at Makoto, then at herself. “I’ll run too!”

Everyone stared at her a moment.

Makoto looked thoroughly baffled. “I don’t understand your intention. You just joined the student council… and you’re already trying to run for president? What sense does that make?”

“If you’re running for president,” Misako insisted, “I’m running for president too!”

Makoto raised her eyebrows. “But why?”

“B-b-because…” Misako stammered, “I l-lo-love-e-e…”

And then she remembered—  _ Oh. Right. People are watching. _ She took a breath, and quietly corrected herself.

The student council looked on at Misako in anticipation of her next words…

“Because,” Misako told Makoto, looking upwards, speaking clearly and with great glee,  _ “I LOVE THE STUDENT COUNCIL!!!” _

The current student council president looked confused for a moment, but ultimately appeared to dismiss Misako’s odd behavior, and shrugged.

The door then suddenly burst open, and the Newspaper Club Member entered. She looked rather tired beneath her red-lensed glasses, and was holding a pen in her mouth— presumably out of haste.

“Sorry I’m late,” the journalist said apologetically through the mouthful of pen, holding the door open with one hand as she held her notebook in the other, writing with her jaw. “What’d I miss?”

Makoto groaned. “I feel sick. I think I need to go home for the day.” She turned and headed for the door, stopping it from closing as Newspaper Girl let go of it and moved further into the room.

_ What? NO! Don’t go! _

“Hey, wait!” Misako called out, “I want to talk to you about—”

Makoto ignored her pursuer and let the door shut behind her.

Misako’s face fell… but after a moment, she collected herself again, and smiled at everyone.

“You didn’t miss anything important!” she laughed at Newspaper Girl. “Let’s get on with the meeting, shall we?”

* * *

**6/4/2015 ☁ THuRSDAY After School**

“So…” I started, slowly, as I began writing away in my notebook, “now that we’re here… Dekishi-san. Niijima-senpai. What do each of you plan to do, should you become student council president?”

Niijima-senpai took a deep breath and began talking. “For starters,” she answered, “I’ve observed that a lot of our fellow students are unable to afford to buy bread. Naturally, I’d like to think that—”

“I can pay for the bread!” Dekishi-san suddenly announced.

I turned and gave her a strange look. “Um… Niijima-senpai wasn’t finished talking…”

“Just hear me out, please? Please please  _ please?” _ She made a rather moe-like expression at me.

Niijima-senpai sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. “Dekishi-san—”

“Senpai!” Dekishi redirected her expression to Niijima. “I’m just trying to help! I swear!”

“But I wasn’t do—”

“My parents have lots of money from all the real estate they lease out to people all over Japan. I can help!”

“Really?” I inquired, quite curiously, much to Niijima’s apparent chagrin as the conversation strayed further away from her. “So there’s a lot of money to be found in the real estate business?”

“YES!” Dekishi-san cheered happily. “I mean, it’s not  _ all _ real estate. Our family also has an inherited fortune that’s been passed down for ages! I don’t mean to brag, but… I could definitely use a little bit of it, to help make everyone happy!” She winked brightly at Makoto. “And with that, the bread problem will be all but solved!”

Niijima-senpai looked at Dekishi-san with a cold, blank look on her face.

“Fine,” she decided, “Then, if I become student council president, I’ll enlist your help acquiring funding to supply our peers with bread.”

“You will?!” Dekishi’s face lit up with delight. “That’s great! Then if I become student council president, I’ll have your help with distributing the bread!” She jumped out of her seat and gave Niijima-senpai yet another huge hug, her breasts bouncing theatrically below her scarf as she did so. I wasn’t sure why they were doing that. It almost looked as if Dekishi-san were some sort of anime character— and, to be honest, that actually wouldn’t have surprised me much.

“Please don’t touch me…” Niijima coughed nervously, pushing Misako away. “Anyway… Newspaper-chan… what was the next item on your interview agenda?”

“Clubs,” I answered, scribbling away. “As you know, Niijima-senpai, for some reason no one seems interested in joining any clubs. And the newspaper club, as it happens, is suffering because of this.”

“Yes,” Niijima-senpai agreed. “It would be quite a blow to the student council’s resources, were the newspaper club disbanded. My response to that will be—”

“What?!” Dekishi-san cut in, seeming quite surprised to hear this. “I didn’t even know we had clubs! Why aren’t people joining them?”

Niijima-senpai looked extremely aggravated at being interrupted by Dekishi-san again.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “In the newspaper club, there are only two people left including myself, and one other member who does not seem particularly interested in helping me with the work. I’d think that this is simply because the student body at large finds the activities of the newspaper club disinteresting, were all the other clubs not experiencing similar challenges.”

“I wasn’t… finished.” Niijima-senpai hissed quietly through gritted teeth. “What is your problem?!”

Dekishi-san didn’t seem to hear her. “Well, we’ll be able to solve that quite easily! Obviously, they need more money to get more club supplies and more members, right?”

“Sure, I suppose,” I very rationally reasoned, scribbling down Dekishi’s answers. After all, her logic made sense—

“THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE!” Niijima-senpai yelled.

Come to think of it, Dekishi-san actually wasn’t making any sense at all. Niijima-senpai was quite right. For instance, why—

“Why would you give supplies to a club that doesn’t have any members?!” Niijima-senpai shouted in frustration at Dekishi-san. “They need dedicated students first, so that we know that the materials invested don’t go to waste!”

“So what if they do?” Dekishi countered, “If a club decides not to use something, we can just give it to charity!”

“It’s not a matter of just ‘giving it to charity!’” Niijima groaned. “Dekishi-san, you’re making my head hurt! This isn’t even supposed to be a debate! It’s an interview! Why do you keep on interrupting me?!”

“Because you’re not saying anything interesting,” Dekishi-san answered in a disappointed, whiny voice. She kicked off her shoes, made her way out of her chair and seated herself on the table. As she waved her bare legs to and fro, she stared at Niijima, making another of her moe faces. “Can’t we talk about something  _ fun?” _

_ Well, that’s it, _ I thought, as I observed Dekishi’s face, and her breasts bounced again, more subtly this time.  _ I’m now certain that she’s an anime character. _

Niijima was puzzled by Dekishi’s odd behavior. “Whatever… Are you just going to solve  _ everything _ with money?”

“Perhaps not everything,” Dekishi-san supposed. “But what I can’t solve with money, I’ll solve by telling everyone to get along!” She straightened her back confidently, causing another boob bounce.

It was then that I decided to stop recording the number of times that Misako Dekishi’s breasts were bouncing. Doing so wasn’t worth my time, and you’re probably sick of reading about it. In fact, this entire paragraph about the pointlessness of her bouncing boobs is completely pointless in and of itself, serving as only filler to pad this text with about sixty-five extra words.

“So you’ll help everyone improve their grades, stop fighting and bullying, and solve everyone’s problems, all with your wallet and your cleavage?”

“What?” Dekishi looked down at her chest cluelessly. “What do my boobs have to do with any of this? I’m a perfectly redeemable intelligent person! I can solve problems by being  _ smart!” _

“Name one problem you’ve solved, then.”

“Well… one time, my parents had this contract for a property that—”

“That  _ you’ve _ solved.”

Dekishi-san was instantly quiet.

Niijima-senpai once again sighed, still thoroughly exasperated.

I took a moment to record the moment of silence which was now taking place.

“I’ve got a tip for you, Dekishi-san,” Niijima said coldly. “Being the student council president takes more than just looking nice and telling everyone to be nice. If you want to assume this position, you’re going to have to deal with a lot of peers who aren’t ‘nice.’ You need to learn how to be a proper role model to those people. It isn’t as simple as just smiling at them and attempting to pacify the situation by encouraging them to get along.”

Misako Dekishi’s face turned slightly pale.

“Senpai…”

She began to cry.

“I learned that the hard way,” Niijima went on. “It seems like you should too. Not everyone needs a hug. Not everyone loves you, Dekishi. You’d best get used to it.”

Dekishi-san detached herself from her seated position on the table, and slowly collapsed, landing in a cross-legged heap upon the floor. She looked downwards, her short green hair— the very same hair that she’d cut so crudely out of love for Niijima-senpai —hiding her eyes.

It was almost as if a cold, black cloud had been cast over her perfect, clear and happy blue sky. Or rather… her green sky. I’d never seen Misako Dekishi look so sad, so hurt beyond words. I found it rather unnerving.

“Dekishi-san,” I inquired softly, “are you alright?”

Dekishi-san gritted her teeth, looking utterly pained…

“I think I’m done here,” Niijima-senpai said nonchalantly, collecting her belongings and turning away. “I knew Dekishi-san was strange, but I never imagined she was of such weak character.”

Niijima-senpai headed for the door, but as her hand moved to turn the knob—

_ “No.” _

She stopped cold in her tracks. “Excuse me?”

“NO!” Dekishi-san shrieked, rising up from her place curled on the floor, now looking absolutely vexed. “Niijima-senpai… why don’t you care about me?! Why don’t you  _ love _ me??? Why do you  _ always _ act like a robot?!”

Niijima turned around to face Dekishi, stunned by this sudden outburst. “Dekishi-san, I-I-I don’t—”

“I’ve been trying and trying and trying and… to be… to be— friends with you—” Dekishi choked, swallowing her tears. “I tried to talk to you… and y-you-you just— Ignore me— and…”

“Stop being so entitled!” Niijima shouted. “I owe you nothing!”

“I…” Dekishi’s body began to shake in fury, her face wet with her tears and snot. “Niijima-senpai…  _ I… I HATE YOU!!!” _

Niijima blinked. She didn’t appear particular bothered by this, but— I could sense the tension she was projecting.

_ “You’re not going to win the election!” _ Dekishi-san declared. “Because how can a  _ robot _ become a student council president? No one loves you, Niijima! No one wants a faceless, emotionless  _ bitch _ at the seat of the student council! That’s why they’re going to vote for  _ ME!” _

There was no reaction. Except…

I could have sworn Niijima looked… scared, somehow. As though Dekishi were… had… was… telling her secret.

“I’m definitely the right choice, right?!” Dekishi-san railed on. “I’m  _ popular, _ I’m  _ beautiful, _ I’m  _ rich, _ and I have the bigger boobs! And you, Makoto Niijima? You have nothing! You’re just a perfect little teacher’s pet!”

Niijima was evidently becoming more and more uncomfortable with every word Dekishi said. Her face began to change, ever so subtly, and her hands began to twitch… and then, they became fists.

This action did not escape Dekishi-san’s notice.

“You want to fight me, Niijima?!” Dekishi suddenly laughed, and smiled— not a warm, caring, happy smile, as was usual, but a smile that looked, somehow… dementedly delighted. “By all means! I love a good fight with a girl… it’s  _ such _ an excellent turn-on.” She opened her arms to challenge Niijima-senpai. “Go on…  _ hit me! _ Go ahead!”

_ “Stop!” _

Now, it was Niijima-senpai who was crying.

“I-I don’t…”

Dekishi abandoned her aggressive stance, suddenly looking shocked as the weight of her words dawned to her. “Wait… I-I didn’t me—”

Flustered and distraught, Niijima-senpai averted eye contact to hide her own tears, and then fled the student council room.

I stood by, stunned at what I had seen. And— I’d written down all of it.

Every last word.

“I-I made her cry…” Dekishi-san took a sad, melancholy look back at me, where I stood, still writing with my right hand…

She scowled. “Don’t you dare put that in the newspaper.”

I scoffed derisively as Dekishi-san exited the student council room. “I wasn’t planning to.”

* * *

**6/24/2015 ☀ WeDNESDaY Lunchtime**

Maybe she’d been right?

Makoto wasn’t certain why Misako kept trying to get close to her. Was that just a thing she did to everyone? Perhaps she’d been engrained in a subculture where such physical contact in such contexts of being barely acquainted was completely normal. That would certainly explain her behavior.

And why did she dress and color herself so eccentrically? What was the point behind cutting her hair to resemble Makoto’s?

_ Competition, I suppose? _

Makoto supposed that had been it. Misako had been looking to rise above Makoto from the start. So far, she’d succeeded. She’d aced her exams and gained so many more friends in such a short time. And… that made her better.

_ Better than a robot, for sure. _

But if that had been Misako Dekishi’s only goal, why had she been so welcoming of Makoto before? Tolerant… kind, even?

_ It must have all been a trick… _

As Makoto walked through the halls, quietly skulking to herself, she overheard a conversation between two students…

_ “Hey, who are you voting for for student council president?” _

_ “I don’t know… I guess I wasn’t really paying attention.” _

_ “Really? How come?” _

_ “Well, like, student council presidents can’t do that much, y’know? I mean… it’s just a glorified school club.” _

_ “You think that? Come on! I see more of that Niijima girl than my homeroom teacher! She’s always cracking down on me for making too much noise in the library!” _

_ “You serious?” _

_ “Yeah, I don’t even make that much noise! And she’s so cold about it, too… all like, ‘please don’t bother people trying to study,’ like, what?! She’s the only person who studies there! Who’s she helping?” _

_ “Ah, well, that never happened to me. I guess the student council just hasn’t affected me like that. At least, not enough that I care. So, I dunno who I’d vote for.” _

_ “Well, I know who I’M voting for!” _

_ “Who’s that?” _

_ “Dekishi-senpai, of course! She’s so cute and she always tells everyone to get along and be happy! And she says she can help with…” _

Makoto sighed in a quiet, defeated manner and walked away.

She could already see the disappointed look on Sae’s face.

* * *

**7/2/2015 ☁ THuRSDAY After School**

Ryuji was getting tired of this. He slowed down a little, taking deep, slow and exhausted breaths…

“QUIT YOUR LOLLYGAGGING!” shouted Kamoshida at the track team, as he paced to and fro, while they all ran circles around him on the outdoor field. “I DIDN’T TAKE THIS JOB TO MONITOR A BUNCH OF  _ WORTHLESS LAZY VEGETABLES!” _

“Well, you didn’t take it out of the goodness of your heart, that’s for sure…” Ryuji murmured to himself.

_ “WHAT WAS THAT?!” _

“I said you’re yelling too loudly!” Ryuji replied. “It’s making it hard for me to focus on running! You should try keeping it down!”

Kamoshida huffed angrily. He knew full well that that was not what Ryuji had said.

_ “GO, TRACK TEAM!” _ shouted a potently positive and energetic voice from the field bleachers. “You too, Sakamoto-kun! You can do it! Keep running as fast as you can!”

Misako Dekishi stood up, pumping her fists in the air and casting a bright smile at the team. They all slowed down a moment, turning to look, just as Misako’s scarf (still inappropriate for the climate) floated slightly in the breeze, and her breasts bounced up and down.

The positive effect on the track team’s morale was almost immediately apparent. With renewed enthusiasm and excitement, they began sprinting at impressive speeds.

Ryuji, in particular, very much appreciated the encouragement. “Thanks!” he called out, winking at Misako and proceeding to go as fast as he could manage.

Kamoshida looked stunned as he watched Ryuji speed on, and, not only that— but the rest of the track team keeping up with him. He shook his head, thoroughly annoyed at what he was seeing. And then he looked up at Misako—

* * *

**7/2/2015 ☁ THuRSDAY After School**

Misako sat back down, smiling and waving at the track team members. Each of them craned their heads in an attempt to get a good look at her each time they circled past her seat.

She was supposed to be keeping an eye on the track team to ensure that Ryuji Sakamoto didn’t cause any trouble, but he didn’t seem to be causing any trouble at all. As a matter of fact, he was running faster than anyone else on the team. So Misako had decided to cheer him on. This, she figured, was far more helpful— and, for her, extremely satisfying.

It was because of things like this that she’d gained widespread popularity among the students. Misako consistently presented herself to encourage every student group, every one of her peers, and sometimes to help others study. Misako was being perfect, helping everyone do their best and get along!

And what was Makoto doing? Not much of anything, really. She was only doing what she was told, and constantly studying alone in the library.

Makoto was definitely going to lose.

At this thought, Misako became rather pensive.  _ Niijima-senpai... _

Misako was trying not to think too much about Makoto Niijima. She was such a… a… Misako didn’t know what, but it certainly wasn’t anything nice.

Well, it didn’t matter. Makoto was in the past now.

_ And I’m going to be the best student council president EVER! _

At this thought, she smiled slightly. Misako was going to help! She was going to be… be…

Be what?

She put her hand on her face, quietly racking her brain for the answer…

What was wrong with her? There was… there was still something she wanted, that she didn’t have. She wanted…

Did she want Makoto Niijima?

_ No. No! _ She hated Makoto. She wanted no part of Makoto. She wanted to… to…

_ To kiss? _

But it didn’t make any sense!  _ No, _ she insisted,  _ Niijima’s a robotic bitch, and she should die! _

Misako grimaced uncomfortably. What the fuck was wrong with her? Why would she wish Makoto Niijima dead? Why would she wish anyone dead? Because… because…

She looked upwards towards the clear, blue, sky, as if searching for an answer within the heavens, and the Tokyo skyline that appeared to expand infinitely beyond the confines of Shujin Academy. Misako didn’t need to be popular, right? She just wanted to help people…  _ I don’t need to be popular to help… right? _

Misako didn’t need to become student council president to help people, did she? But… but she had to. Because… because what did she really want? She wanted…

_ That’s right. I want Niijima-senpai. _

_ But I don’t know, anymore, if I want to love Niijima-senpai— or kill her… or… _

_ NO! Stop! _ She forcefully placed her hands on her head and looked down at her feet.  _ Stop thinking about her dying! Stop thinking about her! Stop-stop-stop— just— stop thinking about— just STOP! _

Misako took a few short, deep breaths and cleared her head.

_ It’s alright. You’re human, you’re in love, and this is what happens to humans in love, right? But it isn’t going to happen. Just forget it. _

_ Forget Niijima. _

_ Forget… _

“You can forget ever going to the track tournaments, Sakamoto!”

Misako looked up to see what was going on.

The track team had stopped running. Kamoshida was yelling at Ryuji…

* * *

**7/2/2015 ☁ THuRSDAY After School**

“What are you talking about?!” Ryuji shot back. “I’m the fastest frickin’ runner on the track team! Of course I’d be going to the tournaments! Why wouldn’t I?!”

“Why wouldn’t you?!” Kamoshida snicked. “Well… let’s see… ah, yes. I remember now.”

“Remember what?” Ryuji was very apprehensive at this claim.

“Well, with your  _ unfortunate _ family history, Sakamoto,” Kamoshida replied, his voice dripping with acid, “I’d be quite surprised if you could even run!”

The track star’s face was suddenly laced with shock. “The hell are you talking about?!”

“Your father… he was…”

Ryuji backed away from Kamoshida in shock. “You… are you seriously shittin’ me? How do you know about that?!”

“He was such a rampant alcoholic, wasn’t he?” Kamoshida smiled slyly. “And he got quite… violent, with your mother. Such a tragedy…”

Ryuji’s face began to contort into a state of shocked disbelief…

“Sakamoto-kun,” asked one of the other track team members, “is that true?”

“What the hell?” another said, shocked. “Sakamoto, your dad was… is your mom even…”

“And your mother,” Kamoshida went on. “Didn’t she get injured? I hear she can barely walk. The poor thing…”

_ “SHUT UP!” _ Ryuji screamed, his face turning red.  _ “THAT SHIT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” _

“Wouldn’t it be such a tragedy,” Kamoshida carried on, his tone getting slimier and slimier, “if the school’s star track runner… oh, I don’t know, if the star track runner…” He paused, scratching his head as if thinking it over.

Ryuji’s hands balled into fists.

_ “SAKAMOTO!” _ shouted one of the other track team members. “Don’t react! Don’t give him—”

_ “STAY OUT OF THIS!” _ Ryuji yelled. “I ain’t gonna let this bastard get away with it!”

“Oh, I know!” Kamoshida grinned maliciously. “Such a tragedy… if the school’s star track runner took after his father?”

Ryuji had heard enough. With his hand clenched into a fist, he pulled back his arm, winding it up as though preparing to pitch a baseball.

**_“YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW, YOU ASSHOLE!”_ **

And then Ryuji threw the pitch—

_ “SAKAMOTO!  _ **_DON’T DO IT!”_ **

Kamoshida held out his arm to catch the ball, and—

_ Strikeout. _

Ryuji scowled at Kamoshida, as the teacher, his face as slimy as ever, gripped his wrist. The fist Ryuji had made came just short of Kamoshida’s face.

“My, how could we have a star runner with such a short temper?” Kamoshida twisted Ryuji’s wrist, causing him to gasp in pain. “I don’t think it’d be very safe for the other runners, now would it?!”

He pushed Ryuji away to the ground. Ryuji attempted to get up and run away, but Kamoshida held out his foot over Ryuji’s knee, and stomped down hard, making a sick, hollow  _ crunch. _

Ryuji screamed in agony, as Misako and the other members of the track team watched in shock—

**_“FUCK YOU!”_ ** Ryuji shouted, clutching his broken leg.

Kamoshida only stood there, and smiled.

“What the hell was that?!” shouted one of the other track runners. “You just broke his leg! He’s your student, Kamoshida! You can’t do shit like that!”

“It was a simple case of self-defense,” Kamoshida stated haughtily. “You all saw that Sakamoto attacked me first, right? Or are you blind?”

“You provoked him!”

“Really? And how so? I only told the truth. It was he who lost his temper.” Kamoshida sighed. “It seems you don’t understand this at all… oh and, by the way, none of you stopped him. That doesn’t speak well to any of your characters, now does it?”

The track team all gasped.

“What the— but we didn’t do nothing!”

“Exactly,” Kamoshida agreed. “This entire team did nothing to stop this crazed lunatic,” he indicated the groaning, injured Ryuji, “who suddenly attacked me out of nowhere. I’d say the track team’s not worth continuing, if it breeds such violence as this.”

“You-wha- what the hell?” Ryuji moaned in pain and disbelief. “You…”

“It’s his fault!” someone shouted. “If Sakamoto hadn’t attacked Kamoshida, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

It did not take long for the logic of this reasoning to dawn on them.

“Whoa, that’s right…”

“Yeah! We’ve got him to blame for this!”

The track team all turned on Ryuji.

_ “You  _ **_traitor!”_ **

Ryuji groaned, spitting out a bit of blood. “You… you serious?!”

_ Damn you, Kamoshida! _

Meanwhile, the incoming student council president watched it all, with a shocked look on her face…

* * *

**7/2/2015 ☁ THuRSDAY After School**

_ “IT WASN’T HIS FAULT!” _ shouted Misako from the bleachers, standing up and coming down to the scene. “I saw everything! Kamoshida made him attack!” She spun towards Kamoshida, pointing at him with a resolute, righteous expression laced upon her face. “I won’t let you get away with this, sensei. Everyone’s supposed to get along with each other!”

Kamoshida chuckled.

“Well, well, well… Misako Dekishi. I’m surprised you have the nerve to say something like that, considering what you’ve done…”

Misako was puzzled.  _ What? _

“I know what you’ve been up to,” Kamoshida asserted. “I’ve seen you with Niijima.”

_ Is he serious? He… he… _

“And, you think you can run for student council president? Someone like you, who goes about making unsolicited advances on other girls?!” Kamoshida laughed once again. “No— It simply wouldn’t do to have a dangerous homosexual like you in charge of the student body!”

Misako shrank away in fear. “You… you can’t… you have no proof! I never hurt Niijima-senpai! I-I-I just gave her a bunch of hugs!”

“Ha, you keep telling yourself that, you demented little  _ slut!” _ Kamoshida yelled. “You think Niijima has the same story?”

“N-no… it… it was just a hug… I just… I liked her hair! I would never… never…” Misako hung her head, at a loss for words. “I wouldn’t hurt Senpai…”

But was Kamoshida right? Makoto had said… she had said…  _ don’t touch me… _

No! That… that didn’t make Misako wrong… she just… she…  _ I love Niijima-senpai… I just want… I just… _

Misako collapsed into the grass, buried her face in her arms, and began to cry…

“What the hell’s the big idea?!” Ryuji protested. “You’re going to ruin her life too? You really don’t know when to stop!”

“I’ll spare the student body the knowledge that there’s such a  _ disgusting, slutty, perverted _ individual among them,” Kamoshida decided, ignoring Ryuji.  _ “If _ you don’t say more than you need to, Dekishi-san. As it is, it stands that you didn’t stop Sakamoto-kun… and that is utterly inexcusable.”

“What the hell was she supposed to do?!” shouted one of the track team.

“Well, she’s one of the student council,” Kamoshida went on, “so, either way, she’s partly at fault for this unfortunate incident.”

The track team all instantly burst out in protest.

“She was cheering us on! Dekishi-senpai didn’t do anything!”

“But is it true that she’s gay?”

“Who said that was true? Kamoshida must be making shit up!”

“Yeah, he’s just pissed that she cheered us on!”

“But, then… why’s she crying?”

Ignoring the hullabaloo he had caused, Kamoshida turned away and left the field, thus leaving behind the disbelieving and crying Misako, and the furious, injured Ryuji.

“Let’s get the hell out of here and go home already!” one of the track team shouted. “Come on, help Sakamoto-kun! He can’t walk like that!”

“Why the hell should we?” another one of them scoffed.

“Well, he may be a traitor, but he’s still one of us! Why  _ shouldn’t _ we?!”

As the track team bickered over who was and was not willing to help Ryuji out of the field, Misako continued crying, and quietly questioning Kamoshida’s words…

_ Does Niijima-senpai really think I tried to hurt her? _

* * *

**7/4/2015 ☂ SATURDaY Lunchtime RAiNY SEaSoN**

Makoto was confused.

She hadn’t seen what had happened with Ryuji Sakamoto and Suguru Kamoshida during this week’s track practice, but she wasn’t certain that Sakamoto was solely at fault…

There was supposed to be a Q&A between the student body and the candidates for student council president. Misako Dekishi had been supposed to show up as well, but she hadn’t. In fact, Makoto hadn’t seen Misako for a few days now.

And so here Makoto was, instead— uncontested, it seemed. At the very least, it looked that way. Her opponent hadn’t officially withdrawn, but she certainly wasn’t as active as she had been before the incident…

“Niijima-senpai!” shouted the student in the crowd, and Makoto was snapped back to the present. Right. She was in the auditorium. She needed to answer the questions. So she lifted the mic up to her mouth, and spoke.

“Yes,” she called out, her voice ringing throughout the auditorium as it emitted from the room’s potent speaker system. “My apologies. I was daydreaming for a moment. What was your question again?”

“Do you agree that Sakamoto-kun is truly an unhinged delinquent who attacked Kamoshida?” the student inquired. It was a boy with ratty brown hair. The soon-to-be succeeded student council president. “Or, was there perhaps another party at fault in the incident earlier this week?”

Makoto took a short, but deep, breath.

Was he? She didn’t know. But… had she a choice? Kamoshida had gotten the track team dissolved. If he was the primary culpable party in this case, then he’d planned that. He had the power to achieve that end. And possibly other ends as well.

Which meant that Makoto could face consequences, should she express doubt. Either Ryuji Sakamoto was indeed an unhinged, violent delinquent, or she would just have to claim that he was to protect her standing as a student council member.

There was little choice to be made in this matter.

“Yes. Kamoshida-sensei was in fact attacked by Sakamoto-kun.”

There was a beat of silence. Then, chatter rang through the audience below her.

Makoto continued speaking crisply into the microphone:

“I truly regret that I was not there to prevent the incident. Had I been able to do so, this might have never come to pass, and the conflict between Sakamoto and Kamoshida could perhaps have been settled by peaceful means. I pray that nothing like this occurs again.”

_ “That’s right! Dekishi-senpai didn’t do anything!” _ shouted someone from the audience.  _ “Kamoshida was right! Niijima-senpai would have stopped this!” _

All of a sudden, cheers of agreement erupted from the audience, and Makoto’s face turned slightly pale. That hadn’t been what she’d meant!

“N-no!” she said hastily. “I never said that Dekishi-san—”

But Makoto was cut short by the steadily increasing volume of the audience, all cheering out for her…

_ “DEKISHI HASN’T GOT WHAT IT TAKES!” _

_ “NIIJIMA-SENPAI FOR PRESIDENT!” _

_ “NIIJIMA! NIIJIMA! NIIJIMA…” _

Makoto looked onwards at the busy crowd in shock. What had she done?! Looking to the back of the room, she saw Kamoshida. He looked as though Christmas had come early…

A loud hum of feedback erupted from the speakers, as Makoto, hiding her face, dropped the mic and hurriedly fled the stage.

As Makoto exited the auditorium, she found Misako, standing in the hallways— having heard every word.

Her face was deeply laced with furious disappointment and desolation, her short green hair, uncombed and unkempt, and her face, her scarf, all wet…

“Niijima-senpai.” She said it with the weight of an anvil. “You’ve as good as won. Good job… being a robot.”

“I’m not a robot, Dekishi-san.”

“You act like one.”

“I don’t… I-I…” Makoto swallowed.

Misako’s feelings were difficult to discern. She looked so angry. Yet so sad. And so very anguished. She was so… so…

“So we couldn’t get along after all, could we?” Misako chuckled sarcastically. “I was such an idiot. To think everyone could ever be nice to each other.”

“But Dekishi-san,” Makoto pointed out, hopefully, “don’t your parents have a lot of money? Isn’t that how you said you were going to help everyone? By sharing your family fortune?”

Misako let out another quiet, defeated laugh. “No— that was just another silly joke. Just a bluff to get attention. My parents would never let me throw our money around like that. They don’t… they don’t let me do much of anything, really.” Misako coughed, continuing to speak in a low, sick-sounding voice. “They don’t approve of me. Me and my… my preferences. Always trying to groom me to be their perfectly normal daughter… normal daughter, with normal colored hair, who wears a bra— like every normal respectable girl. I don’t want to be normal… I want to be me… I want to help people… and I want… I want…”

She stopped and looked at Makoto.

_ Why is she… what is… what is that face she’s making, in her eyes? _

“Niijima-senpai… good luck being student council president.” She turned away and began to leave.

“But… but…” Makoto wondered what to say. She-she wanted to help Misako Dekishi. The poor girl… she looked so crushed. So broken-hearted… why was it? Was she disappointed at losing? Was she…

And then Makoto remembered.

“Wait!”

She ran after Misako, turned her around, and locked her in an embrace.

Misako’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

“Niijima-senpai… what are you… what are you doing?” she cried out. “Why?!”

“You looked like you were upset,” Makoto said softly, placing her hand in Misako’s hair, raking her fingers through it gently. “This seemed like a logical conclusion to make.”

“But-but-” Misako burst into tears and forced Makoto’s arms apart, pushing her away. “NO! Don’t touch me! I don’t want… I mean… I… I hate you! I’m supposed to hate you! You’re… why?! I don’t understand you!”

“Don’t you have other ways to help?” Makoto extended her hand to Misako, an extremely tolerant, patient look laced upon her face. “I did promise you that if I won the election, I’d let you help me. You can be the student council vice president!”

“But-but I don’t—” Misako looked downwards to the floor in shame. “I don’t want to be a vice president! I’m not good enough!”

“But of course you are,” Makoto insisted. “Didn’t you get a near-perfect score on the midterms? I don’t know if you noticed, but finals are coming up soon. I have no doubt you’ll ace those too if you study hard.”

Misako said nothing.

“You said before you wanted us to get along. We can, Dekishi-san. We can be friends.”

Another tear rolled from Misako’s face, dripping silently onto the floor.

“But I didn’t want to be friends…”

* * *

**7/4/2015 ☀ SATURDaY Lunchtime RAiNY SEaSoN**

I watched the whole thing play out before my very eyes.

After the crowd began to go wild for Niijima-senpai, I fled the auditorium as well. It wasn’t worthwhile to document their quick transformation into a frenzied mob. And in the hall, I, the head of the Shujin Newspaper Club, watched Dekishi-san cry to Niijima-senpai. Tears that Niijima never knew the true meaning of, and to my knowledge, still doesn’t.

Dekishi-san didn’t see that I was watching. But I can only suppose that if she had, she’d have told me not to put it in the newspaper.

Not that I ever would have.

I’ve never grown to love anyone the way she did, so I couldn’t quite feel her feelings, but I felt for her nonetheless, with what little flawed empathy I do have. It’s quite funny, actually. A journalist, a storyteller, a writer. I of all people should know how to feel for others, shouldn’t I? And yet my emotions are strange and muted, as I simply pursue information and seek to maintain my own status quo.

I suppose that’s just what happens to you and your self-esteem when no one remembers your name. It’s not very easy to socialize, when fate seems to have delegated you to the role of a nondescript, perhaps almost nonexistent, observer.

There’s an advantage to that, however.

I have no faith in my life, and no desires. So naturally, I can’t possibly be disappointed. I’m sure you find it surprising, but I have never been a sinful person. Because of this, I am confident that I cannot drown in lust and envy as Dekishi-san has done.

And it’s with that confidence, that I shall close this story.

At least for the time being.

* * *

  
**Misako Dekishi drawn by[Da Huang](http://da-can-draw-stuff.tumblr.com/)**

**Author's Note:**

> That's the art! I commissioned it from a lovely lovely friendly lovely human who goes by the name of Da Huang, but who I know as Rei (which is not her actual name either. I ain't gonna tell you her real name cause she's trying to safeguard against Death Notes) and she posted the art [here!](http://da-can-draw-stuff.tumblr.com/post/165653025585/and-were-live-misako-dekishibut-colored-and) so.
> 
> I was trying to keep Misako deliberately hidden from the blurb and such because I didn't want people to look at this and be all like "oh OC blehhh" and also just cause, well, this is **Makoto** Week. If you're familiar with my past work, you'll know she first appeared in the original version of _The Many Arrests of the Phantom_. She's still the same character kind of but I did change her and her motivations a bit to make her less bitchy, more relatable and flawed. So yeah!
> 
> But of course this had to be about the canon characters as well. I struggled for a short time on how to make the plot more substantial, and it was Mac who gave me the idea that made the other half of the story. His suggestion that Kamoshida be included in the plot gave clarity, and a frame around which to build Makoto and Misako's relationship, as well as coming up with some insight into what Ryuji went through. It was fun to write.
> 
> Mac unfortunately did not help on the bulk of this story, because he recently had a medical procedure which left him in not a very good state to do editing with me. I credit him here nonetheless, because he helped establish much of the structure and concept, and did help me course correct one early scene in regards to Ryuji's characterization. As always, I'm very grateful for his help.


End file.
